The St. Clair West Guide: 19 need-to-know spots along the midtown strip

The St. Clair West strip between Bath­urst and Oakwood is known for its diverse population, interminable TTC construction, and that classic Toronto mix of urban grit, Old World–authentic mom and pop shops, and yuppie startups. Our list of 20 can’t-miss stops is the best way to get to know the area. By Crystal Luxmore. Photographs by Jessica Darmanin.

Boom Breakfast and Co.

A favourite of diet guru Dr. Bernstein, the bright diner thrums with a St. Clair vibe, drawing locals of all stripes for hot lattes made with the Vitoria Arduino machine, cheerful servers and affordable prices. The simple two-eggs breakfast, served with frites, meat and a roasted tomato, is a sure bet at $6.89.

Boom Breakfast and Co., 1036 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-657-3447

Patachou

Posh locals visit the scruffier end of the strip to pick up lunch—French onion soup, prosciutto sandwiches and bright yellow quiches—from this renowned patisserie, tucked beside a men’s shelter. Butter is in the DNA of this place; the evidence is in the huge array of croissants, pear and almond tarts, and fluffy macarons.

Patachou, 833 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-782-0122

Javad’s Buy and Sell

St. Clair West is prime territory for scouting antiques, art and vintage clothes. The best bargain finds are buried in the cavernous, floor-to-ceiling stacks of modern miscellany at this eclectic store. (Those unwilling to hunt through Pig Pen–style piles should go five doors east to the more orderly Art Collector.)

Javad’s Buy and Sell, 818 St. Clair Ave. W.

Ellington’s Music and Café

The laid-back hangout (named after Duke, of course) has live jazz mornings, open jams on Wednesday nights, and occasional spoken word readings from the Dub Poets Collective housed upstairs. A regular complement of dreadlocked moms and dads, artists, musicians and writers come for the Wi-fi and freshly roasted fair-trade brew.

Ellington’s Music and Café, 805 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-652-9111.

Prop

Locals swear by the long-standing family-run Italian joints like Gianni and Maria’s, but foodies from Forest Hill and farther afield are trekking to Prop for bowls of pasta cooked by Giancarlo Carne­vale, new to this part of town. (Carnevale and his wife, Marlene Simone, also ran Trattoria Giancarlo and the College Street Bar, in Little Italy.) The risotto nero—tender squid and carnaroli dripping with squid ink—is almost good enough to forgive the resto for its goofy name: Prop stands for People’s Republic of Pasta.

Prop, 770 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-792-3313.

Filippo’s

Pizza crusts are nearly as thin as they make them in Italy, and orders outpace pricier veal and risotto specials chalked on the menus hanging over the open kitchen. Filippo’s outdoor patio has more charm than its unintentionally kitschy decor: orange stucco inside and out in a nod to the homeland.

Filippo’s, 744 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-0568

Pain Perdu

In 2009, Yanic Foilgras’s artisanal bakery became the first in Canada to be recognized by the French government. The array of pastries, crunchy cookies and baguettes by boulanger Eric Chevalier (Foilgras’s boyhood friend from Pays Basque) sell out daily, even though they’re among the priciest on the strip.

Pain Perdu, 736 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-656-7246

The Stockyards

When Tom Davis and Monique Nanton opened up shop in April 2009, St. Clair West became a frenzied destination for barbecue fanatics. The ribs—available only Tuesday, Friday and Sunday nights after 5 p.m.—generally sell out within the hour, but the burgers, pulled pork sandwiches and fried chicken are equally good. Customers too hungry to wait out the 15-minute queues head one block east, to Churrasco of St. Clair.

The Stockyards, 699 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-9666.

Mezzetta

The peeling letters on the green canvas sign of this Middle Eastern joint indicate diners come here for substance over style. At rough wood tables, they deliberate over some 60 traditional mezze dishes—tahini or stuffed vine leaves?—before choosing a dozen or more to share. Loonie Mondays and Toonie Tuesdays, offering the second dish for the appropriate coin, are a bargain eater’s bonanza.

Mezzetta, 681 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-5687

Churrasco of St. Clair

Rows of succulent whole chickens are barbecued to piri piri perfection in the mega-oven of this takeout-only joint. At $10 a bird, expect to wait a few minutes at supper hour. Roast potatoes with crispy onions and secret spices are the favourite side dish, scooped from behind the hot food bar. Whole rabbit, suckling pig and turkeys can be ordered with a few days’ notice.

Churrasco of St. Clair, 679 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-0652

Cocoa Latte

The Mexican family behind this brown and baby blue café are as charming as the decor. The light salads and sandwiches are inspired by owner Carlo Flores’s childhood in the Napa Valley. Food is prepped on order by Flores, his sisters and their respective hubbies. Six flavours of homemade gelato and a few fruity sherbets are crafted by a local Valencian who insists on anonymity lest his icy concoctions rocket to fame.

Cocoa Latte, 671 St Clair Ave. W., 416-792-8696

El Rincon

Hanging sombreros and mariachi beats accent the Morgado family’s authentic cuisine. The zingy guacamole flies out of the kitchen, while the underappreciated rich chocolate-tinged sauce of the mole poblano makes for a mouth-watering piece of chicken. The food here has become so popular, the Morgados may just open a second location in Toronto.
El Rincon, 653 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-656-1059

Kosoy and Bouchard

The front window of this store and studio space displays modern sandblasted glass sculptures by Pierre Bouchard alongside pieces by his wife, Michelle Kosoy, whose bowls, stools and Tibetan prayer wheels are stamped with woodblocks from Nepal. Kosoy’s pottery classes, taught in the in-store studio, are filled with repeat locals.

Kosoy and Bouchard, 651 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-651-4480

Leah’s

Last winter, Leah Kalish, Toronto’s biscotti queen, delighted the St. Clair stroller set when she opened her first retail patisserie: a tiny black-and-white-checkered shop at the “three churches intersection” (that would be St. Clair and Wychwood). In the back, the bakers churn out up to 10,000 biscotti a week, stocking Whole Foods, Pusateri’s and Summerhill Market. Up front, Leah’s pecan Chelseas and peanut butter–chocolate Rice Krispies treats tempt so many customers that commercial real estate agents boast about how many doors down from Leah’s their listings are.

Leah’s, 621 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-785-4711.

Wychwood Barns

The restored TTC barns have become a buzzing community hub. Designer dogs sniff at one another while their equally well-bred owners sip foamy lattes, teens of all stripes play volley­ball on the sandy court and Picassos-in-training take classes from the artists in residence. The year-round market stalls offer artisanal fare: organic chocolate, gluten-free bread, pickles and cheeses, along with fresh-squeezed juices, omelettes and rotis.

Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St., 416-653-3520.

Sam’s Barber Shop

When Sam Carozza opened his original barbershop just off St. Clair on Raglan in 1971, he was 22 years old—the youngest of the 17 predominantly Italian barbers on the St. Clair strip. Now, at 62, he’s the only one still in business, sharing space with his hairdresser wife, Marisa, just half
a block from his first location. “It works, as long as we stay 40 feet away from each other,” Carozza jokes. With an antique cash register and green leather barber chairs, the vibe is decidedly old-school. A standard men’s haircut is $21.

Sam’s Barber Shop, 573 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-651-7056.

Dutch Dreams

Theo Aben Sr., a native of the Netherlands, opened his ice cream parlour in 1985, sleeping on the floor in the basement with his two young sons for the first year. Now the shop is operated by Theo Jr. and his wife, Dina. When one of the 34 flavours runs out, the kids behind the counter sprint across the street for another bucket from the proprietors’ house, marked by a not-so-subtle 15-foot ice cream cone slide in the front yard. Today it’s known for both the kitschy madhouse decor and homemade waffle cones with generous scoops and fruity toppings. Such visiting stars as Danny DeVito (mint chocolate chip) and Rhea Perlman (tiger tail) are fans. New this summer: soft serve, whipped up by Theo Sr. every morning.

Dutch Dreams, 78 Vaughan Rd., 416-656-6959.

Albert’s Real Jamaican Foods

The recipes at Albert Wiggan’s popular jerk joint haven’t changed in the two-plus decades since it opened: orders for curried goat and jerk chicken topped with oxtail gravy keep the kitchen busy. With St. Alphonsus Catholic Church on one side and an adult video store and a massage parlour on the other, Albert’s eat-in window counter is a perfect viewing platform from which to watch the area’s pluralistic populace walk by. (In an eight-block radius, there are eight other churches and a Buddhist meditation centre.)

Albert’s Real Jamaican Foods, 542 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-9445.

Ecoexistence

Hillcrest resident Kym Klopp stocks her tidy, open-concept store with rigorously vetted eco-clothes, kitchen supplies, beauty products and baby gear. Forest Hill parents come here to kit out their newborns, and granola types from across the GTA test the Organic Lifestyle floor model mattresses. French milled soaps from Ella’s Botanicals and bamboo T’s with statements like “I love my two moms” are also among the inventory.

I second the post re: Ferro and The Rushton – two of the better restaurants along the St. Clair West strip. I highly recommend heading to either or BOTH – they’re right across the street from one another. The menus feature AMAZING food that is reasonably priced and during patio season, The Rushton is a great pick! :) just a fellow St. Clair West local

About the strange omissions, few people know that in most cases, there is a fee for inclusion. I have no personnal experience of Toronto Life but I know that most publications require membership fees and then more again to be included in any campaign. Those “campaigns” are presented as representing the entire spectrum of availability (i.e. the only restaurants/hotels etc.available in the area)while the reality is that the group promoted represents paying members only. This is true of nearly all “Best of” types of publications. As the best of…. are doing very well on their own and don’t need this type of publicity, they often don’t pay and therefore often don’t appear in such publications/articles etc.

I’d be curious to know from some of the merchants on the strip if that was the case here. In any case this is certainly true of anything to do with the marketing arm of the City of Toronto & their various publications which are misleadingly title “Toronto City Guide” etc. Membership in this organisation is one of the most expensive in the world, last I checked. Things are not what they seem. People should know.

There was absolutely no fee for inclusion in the St. Clair West Guide, and merchants are not required to buy membership in order to be mentioned. It is in no way a promotion or campaign; it is service journalism. This piece contains on-the-ground reporting and subjective opinions by a team of writers and editors who have simply picked their favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Paid content on both our web site and in the print magazine is, and always will be, clearly marked as an advertisement.

So what is your excuse for missing / ignoring two of the best spots? Bad service journalism? How does it help the reader to not mention some of the best places to go in a review like this? Help us understand. We know your listening.

Marline, I heard that there is a lot of politics in the resto biz in TO; summer/winterlicious are a fine example of the City’s idea of “promoting” an array of restos in TO when in fact, there is some unspoken membership involved there as well.

We’ve lived in the St. Clair/Christie area for almost 4 years and it’s been thriving and we love it! It’s a great ecclectic mix of old world meets new world. We love our Italian neighbours who grow some serious veggies in their garden to the new trendy restaurants just steps away on St. Clair. Great eats, great shopping, great people! You can’t beat The Stockyards for smoked trout, pulled pork or one of their killer breakys and biscuits. The Rushton kicks it up for schwanky drinks and eye candy. Leah’s has delish desserts – especially love the meringue mushrooms and lemon tarts. Pain Perdu – forget about it. You just can’t resist the smell of butter and the perfectly flaky croissants, my fav? The chocolatine. World Class you can get half baked Greif’s bagels and finish them off at home. Ellington’s has live music and great coffee and treats. Noir is one of the most beautiful coffee/tea shops I’ve ever seen. Dona Luz has amazing Peruvian food. ..Sushi Sugar is especially genrerous with the fish and sake. Saverna is Indian comfort food at it’s best.I can go on and on…From junk yard fab finds, to trendy shopping, to killer eats – St. Clair west just can’t be beat!

Noir- fantabulous mochacinno and beef stew and friendly staff… I can’t believe all those idiots going to Starbucks a few doors down… give your businesses to places like Noir who do a better job and NEED community support.

I second the comments about Noir and Vanipha Lanna! Noir has amazing coffee and treats in a relaxed Asian-inspired lounge with exquisite finishes. Vanipha Lanna easily has the freshest tasting Thai and Loatian food in the mid/downtown TO area (at least in my opinion). Both are worth the trip.

Late comment but I still live on the st. clair strip, and as time goes on it is slowly coming back to life after the tracks. I’d like to say to those who are so obsessed with the Rushton/Ferro dynasty… get over it, the service at both is terrible and as a member of the community I choose not to support either. Its time more new business opens up and provides competition which any thriving neighborhood needs in order to grow and sustain its worth.

Did anyone else happen to mention that Filippo’s has been closed for more than six months now? I wonder not only at the exclusion of some (Acquiolina comes to mind), but at the inclusion of a place that no longer exists.

To respond to the person who asked – unfortunately quite some time ago – where to go for a drink along the St. Clair strip, De Soto’s is terrific. They pride themselves on a solid draught and local beer menu, and have two great patios to choose from. In its early days it was a Now magazine NNNN-rated bistro, but the St. Clair ROW construction debacle almost killed them. To survive, they decided to make it a more casual destination for locals, and I think the neighbourhood is all the better for it.

why are we only talking about restaurants? Our family just had appointments at the St Claie Eye Clinic. What a place!! We told them how happy we are they joined the neighbourhood. Staff was wonderful. Eye doc very thorough. Toronto Life should truly reflect a neighbourhood and mention services also…either way though, I love this website.

OMG You missed so many interesting places. Let’s start at Cafe Nero for coffee and lunch, Zemra for drinks and great appetizers. Cruising through the deadzone between Oakwood and Dufferin (Toronto Life editors – how about a piece on why there are so many empty stores in the deadzone on St. Clair?) to DeSotos, my friends swear by it at least twice a week. On to Novocento, gorgeous little cafe for expresso and gelato with a great patio, off to La Bruschetta & Frank’s pizza. You completely missed Marcello’s? Packed every night. Then you must finish at La Paloma for the best gelato in the city.

@ Kate…decent and popular bars are definitely lacking. Thursdays @ Dave’s (730 StClair) is pretty decent. Atlas One and Rushton are both nice spots for post-dinner drinks but would never be open until last call. Check out a new spot up on Oakwood called The Independent.

Some good places mentioned but you should travel further west for others, there are many good bakeries butchers and barbers towards Old Weston Road.

Try Sandro for an excellent shave and cut, at St Clair and Laughton ( he spent years in Yorkville prior to coming Westward). Dels baby beef has an eclectic range of meats and cheeses and have butchers on staff with real skill. The list goes on and in from traditional pho to Mitchies jerk chicken ( across from Sandros barber shop)

The point is that there are quality shops to be seen further west, the area is transforming before our eyes.

I agree with Malton that a lot was missed geographically. There is so much more to St. Clair past Oakwood!! I live at St. Clair and Dufferin and love it! It’s articles like this that don’t really help to promote this part of St.Clair, but for the people who live south and north of Dufferin, some places are still very very busy! Malton hit all the right spots, but my personal fav is Sofra Grill! I’m there like at least twice a week and the falafel and shwarma are the best!! My roommate went to the Big Slice b/c the line at Marcello’s was too long, and was very surprised! She really enjoyed it and recommended it to me. The Sunnyside Grill opened up, and its a great alternative to BOOM! I enjoy Boom, but I’m an east coast girl who craves a good simple, semi-greasy breakfast and their pan fries are done on the grill, not fried! Pink on Lauder has great baked goods and I have finally found the best hairdresser in the city at St.Clair and Dufferin, and the price can’t be beat! There is open store fronts for sure, but they have been renovated and I think there is so much potential to make all of St. Clair West the best strip north of Bloor! I think some of the open store fronts past Oakwood would do well with a great independant book store, its a great community that’s for sure!

That would be wonderful to mention the services here as well. We’re the Chiropractic office right above the Eye Clinic and love this neighborhood. Wonder if a lot of condos will soon be filling up St. Clair though…